Today I would like to share the success story of another MBA applicant from this cycle. While I’ve worked with applicants of all ages, this particular gentleman just happens to be over 30 just like the previous applicant who got into HBS at over 30 years old, further proving that a full time MBA at […]

(Intro – MBA Over 30) Several months ago, I received an email from someone who had filled out my form for a free MBA profile opinion. Since I was at the gym, I wasn’t able to answer right away, but I did scroll quickly through the basic information that was submitted. I zipped right down […]

(Oakland, CA) – It was almost exactly 3 years ago that I first began to seriously consider aiming for an MBA at a top program. When I look back on that time as I approach my last semester at Wharton, it blows my mind how close I came to NOT having made the decision to […]

Hardly Working So for the past 7 weeks, I’ve been back out on the west coast living and working in the Silicon Valley for Google. It has been an out of this world experience thus far and I hardly want to come to grips with the fact that my internship will be over in a short […]

First, I’d just like to congratulate my admissions consulting clients from this season who have accepted offers to their target schools. Thus far, 2 of you are headed to Wharton, 2 to INSEAD, one to Duke, and 4 waiting to hear back from one of Wharton (2 more), MIT (1) or Darden (2). I only […]

My first quarter at Wharton has been an unbelievable experience. When I last posted, I was just getting my druthers after a fun but exhausting Pre-Term experience. I had also deluded myself into thinking that I’d do a couple posts last month. Negative. Out of nowhere, I was blind-sighted by a flurry of quant problem […]

What’s up guys. Remember me? LOL. I’ve actually been trying to get to another post for the past 3 weeks quite unsuccessfully. Life in b-school is amazing on one hand and all consuming on the other. I wanted to give you a heads up on a podcast that I’m featured in where I give tips […]

The short version of this story is that I’m having the time of my life right about now. Here goes the long version… (I hope you packed a lunch!) The Fresh Prince of Philly I arrived in Philadelphia back on July 23rd, just over 3 weeks ago. While my flight had me landing several […]

This time tomorrow, I will officially be a resident of Philadelphia. Since I was admitted during round one (December), much of this transition has been anticlimactic for me since my excitement hit its zenith during admit weekend way back in February. It’s not that I haven’t been excited about going to Wharton, but the drudgery […]

I’ve never really been the jealous type. That notwithstanding, it can be quite a challenge to not become a hater when all of your rich banker classmates are gallivanting around the globe after having quit their pre MBA jobs months ago while you report to a cube each day. So naturally, I was more than […]

Every now and again (actually, quite often if I’m honest) I get yet another confirmation of having made the right decision in choosing to attend The Wharton School to get my MBA and focus on building a company. While I’ve never looked back or even so much as wondered about my having chosen the best […]

Thanks to you and other MBAOver30.com readers everywhere, we’ve just hit the 150,000 view mark after just over 13 months of the blog’s existence. This past January, I was elated to learn about the blog’s first 63,000 views, most popular posts, most active contributors and its demographic when WordPress published its 2012 annual report. Today, […]

Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken with a number of 2013-14 MBA applicants while helping them with their application strategies for this admissions season. A few days ago, one of them asked me a very candid question about his admissions apps for several top 10 schools. “While writing my essays, should I tell the […]

It’s GMAT time for a lot of your right now. I’ve spoken with a number of you who are taking the exam in a few weeks. There are many more of you who will be taking it for the first (or second, or third) time within the next 1-2 months, depending on which round you […]

Here’s GMAT Quant/Math Batch #3 from our friends at Target Test Prep . Throw these problems into your GMAT prep mix to increase your chance of breaking into scores of 680-750 and above. And don’t just go through the problem, really seek to understand the underlying rules and relationships that lead to a solution. Here you goes: […]

A year ago today, I was mulling over why a full time MBA vs. an EMBA was the right decision for me being that I was only about 6 weeks away from my 35th birthday. Boy am I glad that I got clear on that distinction and chose the path of full time. The dividends […]

You asked for it, and now you’ve got it. Our friends over at Target Test Prep have sent this year’s GMATTers two more juicy quant problems to chew on. Here’s to your 680-750+ next GMAT attempt! Here’s bath #2! PRACTICE PROBLEM 2A Jamshid can paint a fence in 50 percent less time than Taimour can […]

In the past, several people have asked me to publish advice and help on the dreaded GMAT exam. When I was applying, I had zero time to offer this kind of help. Now, I am able to provide some occasional practice questions and solutions based on having slightly more time than I did before and […]

…And to think I once thought that I’d never see the end of the friggin GMAT. Looking Back Almost exacty a year ago, I hit “publish” on my very first blog post for MBAOver30.com. Real talk, no one could have told me that the past 364 days would have unfolded as they have. I am […]

I experienced deja vu today. I was in the middle of reviewing some statistics info when I thought to myself, “really tho”?. Allow me to explain… I’m currently in the throes of prepping for my transition from brain dead, autopilot but employed 9-to-5 life in sunny Los Angeles to rigorous, stimulating but broke student life […]

So, you laid it on the table during this MBA admissions cycle. Your GMAT score and undergrad GPA were in range, you have a solid work history, strong extras, clear goals AND don’t know of any reason that any of your recommendations would have gone sour because you’ve crushed it at work to boot. I […]

Earlier today, I was pleasantly surprised by a Facebook message from Matt Higbee, the Wharton student/banker/comic who roasted me for a few brief moments in his routine for R2. In it, he thanked me for being a good sport about the jab(s) and for understanding that they were all in good fun; no doubt. He […]

So…I’m sitting at the computer while taking a break from some freelance writing work. I’m watching this clip on YouTube that always makes me laugh so hard that I fart when my my phone starts beeping and my email notices from Facebook start blowing up. Apparently, just as I was laughing and in tears to […]

So…you’re “in” at Wharton. Congratulations on your achievement. I’ve felt kinda bad for all of you during these past couple of weeks, as the period between mid-November and late December (my waiting period) was the roughest time for me during this whole MBA application ride–definitely the upside-down-to-downward-spiral part of the coaster. While the GMAT had […]

It is incredibly gratifying to finally be busy in a way that is fun and enriching (prepping for school, prepping for Philly, networking, planning etc.) rather than oppressive and numbing (GMAT, essays, interviews, waiting for results, et. al) as it relates to this whole MBA deal. Lately, I’ve been cyber stalking events such as the […]

I’ve chosen to invest my next two years into building a company and earning an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management at The Wharton School of Business at UPenn. First World Problems From the moment that I first got “the call” from Director of Admissions Ankur Kumar welcoming me to Wharton’s class of 2015, I […]

Earlier today (Sunday) I flew back into Los Angeles from R1 Welcome Weekend at Chicago Booth. Over the past two weekends, I’ve gotten little sleep, increased my alcohol tolerance by a third and met several hundred of the most interesting and exceptional people that I’ve met all in one place in quite some time. If […]

So last weekend I flew to Philadelphia to rendezvous with over 300 of my fellow R1 admits at Wharton’s Winter Welcome Weekend. To say that I had a blast and was impressed would be an understatement. The Whartonites definitely know how to sell their brand and showcase their culture to a horde of admits. The […]

Touched Before Take-off [Location, JFK Airport, NYC en route to Philadelphia] – So I’m sitting on the runway awaiting take-off at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) almost exactly 6 hours ago. I’m having a good day. I’ve taken today (Thursday) and tomorrow off to attend Wharton’s Winter Welcome Weekend in Philadelphia. I’m also smiling about […]

Post Mortem Just an hour ago, I thought that I’d be writing a very different post than this. About two weeks ago, I interviewed for a spot in the class of 2015 for The MIT Sloan School of Management. While I left the actual interview feeling pretty good, I began to wonder about whether my […]